Title:Hyperferritinaemia: An Iron Sword of Autoimmunity
Volume: 25
Issue: 27
Author(s): Joanna Giemza-Stokłosa, Md. Asiful Islam and Przemysław J. Kotyla*
Affiliation:
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice,Poland
Keywords:
Hyperferritinaemia, hyperferritinaemic syndrome, autoimmunity, autoimmune disease, catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome,
macrophage activation syndrome, sepsis, adult-onset Still's disease.
Abstract:
Background: Ferritin is a molecule that plays many roles being the storage for iron, signalling molecule,
and modulator of the immune response.
Methods: Different electronic databases were searched in a non-systematic way to find out the literature of interest.
Results: The level of ferritin rises in many inflammatory conditions including autoimmune disorders. However,
in four inflammatory diseases (i.e., adult-onset Still’s diseases, macrophage activation syndrome, catastrophic
antiphospholipid syndrome, and sepsis), high levels of ferritin are observed suggesting it as a remarkable biomarker
and pathological involvement in these diseases. Acting as an acute phase reactant, ferritin is also involved
in the cytokine-associated modulator of the immune response as well as a regulator of cytokine synthesis and
release which are responsible for the inflammatory storm.
Conclusion: This review article presents updated information on the role of ferritin in inflammatory and autoimmune
diseases with an emphasis on hyperferritinaemic syndrome.
